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Pop Of Nostalgia: Spice World Still Spices Up Our Lives 15 Years Later

Ah the 90’s. For every kid born/growing up in the later 80’s to early 90’s, this period of time brings back fond memories.

Nothing is more enduring though (besides perhaps Power Rangers) then the great 90s band craze. We had boy bands, girl bands, mixed gender bands.

For a few short years, I remember my childhood being dominated by The Spice Girls.

Oh in the mid-90’s, they ruled the world with an iron fist. I remember running around shouting “GIRL POWER” at the top of my lungs. They were huge. My own imperfect memory remembers them dominating my life for years until boys stopped being icky and started being interesting. Then I wandered off to N”SYNC and The Backstreet Boys.

The Spice Girls though have remained a definite throwback that is looked on fondly. They’re even considered a “guilty pleasure”, which does not make sense. Spice Girls are not a “guilty pleasure”. It’s a nostalgia type thing.

Even though seeing the girls on Glee dress up as the girls and perform “Wannabe” was hilariously awesome to watch.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuSoPnpTM4Y&w=560&h=315]

If there is one thing from the world of the Spice Girls that could be counted as a guilty pleasure, then it’s their cinematic masterpiece Spice World.

Oh now, this takes me back. Spice World is an interesting movie. It falls into the “so bad it’s awesome” category that movies can occupy.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmSBtOHzGPM&w=560&h=315]

It has no coherent plot. There is no character development. It’s weird. It’s strange. I wonder how they even got half of these actors to cameo in it. It’s a parody of the Spice Girls and a look at the effects of fame.

Seriously? Meatloaf as the bus driver? Seriously? And it was probably for one joke too.

I can’t find a gif or a clip of the joke. So I’ll tell you it. The bus’ sewage system has broken. The Spice Girls manager looks at Meatloaf and asks if he can fix it.

Bus driver Meatloaf says: “Now look. I love those girls. I would do anything for them. (beat) But I won’t do that.”

It’s awesome. Why can’t today’s vanity project movies be more like this? I would have probably liked the Glee Concert Movie a lot more. At least, the Katy Perry vanity project I was forced to see had random moments of Russell Brand in it.

No. None of today’s vanity projects can truly top the wonderfulness of Spice World.

During that movie we had a super pregnant Tosh from Torchwood, who was the Spice Girls singular bestie.

There were alien fanboys.

THIS is what happened when the movie called for their bus to jump over a bridge.

This dance instructor exists apparently.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3l1azUGNFM&w=420&h=315]

Looking back on Spice World, I think it was supposed to be like this. I think that it was supposed to be this surreal, odd, hilarious look at the Spice Girls.

It poked much at them and their personas. It was weird and out there. It was a funny movie.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izQESt4D9N8&w=420&h=315]

Yeah it’s not high art but I would prefer watching Spice World over other vanity projects. They aren’t taking themselves seriously. It’s a movie that’s meant to be fun. It’s meant to be hilarious. I think it’s purposefully meant to be bad.

Actually all I think Spice World proves is that the Spice Girls have a sense of humor about themselves.

So this is why I look back on this movie with great fondness. Maybe my nostalgia googles are on but there is just something so refreshing about seeing these movie in regards to the concert movies out today.

Maybe we want to see our pop stars be silly and not take themselves seriously. Maybe we want to see them race to them race to a concert in a bus that is definitely bigger on the inside (theory one of the Spice Girls is The Doctor) over a toy London Bridge.